Travellers from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay had a crazy Tuesday of travel after the Queen of Surrey experienced engine problems.
According to B.C Ferries' spokesperson Deborah Marshall, there was a failure of the lube oil system on the Surrey during start-up for the first sailing out of Langdale Tuesday morning, May 4.
The first sailing left Langdale at 7:09 a.m., putting the schedule into chaos for the remainder of the day. Several sailings were cancelled and B.C. Ferries had to readjust their schedule all day to accommodate for the delays.
Marshall said the Surrey operated on one engine, so the crossings, which normally take 40 minutes, took up to 55 minutes.
The Queen of Cowichan, which is equal to the Surrey in capacity, was put on the Langdale-Horseshoe Bay route Wednesday morning.
On Thursday morning, Marshall said the Surrey has been moved to Deas Pacific Marine where Ferries' fleet maintenance unit can better assess and repair the damage.
"We are still investigating why the lube oil pump stopped supplying oil to the bearings," she said. "Initially, we are estimating that the ship will be out of service for a minimum of three weeks. It could be longer if there are issues with availability of parts. A firm timeline will be established once the fleet maintenance unit concludes their assessment."
Marshall said in the meantime, a C-class vessel will continue to provide service on the Langdale run on the regular schedule so there is no impact on customers.
The Cowichan remains on the run, but when the Queen of Oak Bay returns from its refit, the Queen of Coquitlam will be moved to Langdale and the Cowichan will go back to the Departure Bay route, she said.
